Ul Galiner – Apartment by Le Case di Bea

My great-grandfather Vittore’s woodworking workshop.

When I bought my great-grandfather’s house and decided to renovate it, the workshop was full of rubbish and used as storage for forgotten things. The floor was still earth, and the roof was sheet metal. But it was the place where my great-grandfather worked until he passed away from pneumonia; at that time antibiotics were not as widespread and available.

My great-grandmother Marianna raised her four children alone — 2 boys (Ernesto and Alessandro — my grandfather) and two girls (Anna and Adele) — and she died surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

I never thought of letting this piece of the house collapse, so it seemed obvious to me to give it a new life. At first, I thought it would be the place for my crafting… I love knitting, crochet, painting, creating with clay... but I’m not exactly an artist! Then the renovation rules in this ancient village “forced” me to choose a stone roof and quite a challenging budget... So, why not create a little house where people can enjoy the peace and beauty of the place?

That’s how “Ul Galiner” — The Chicken Coop was born. The name comes from a unique interior feature: because the space didn’t allow for an internal staircase to reach the loft, the only solution was a ladder… just like the little ladders that used to be in chicken coops.

Today Ul Galiner is an independent little cottage, small but equipped with what you need for a few days of mountain relaxation. I chose not to put up curtains (and certainly in the morning the sunlight enters and brightens the space!) so that you can enjoy the view. The mattresses are wool, just like the old days (and yes, they take the shape of the body and are soft).

At times small animals might enter the house… ants, spiders, even a scorpion looking for shelter from the cold. Grandma used to say that seeing a scorpion predicts rain — fortunately, I don’t see them that often! I have my refuge right across the way; my great-grandparents’ old house is my special place, and the old woodworking bench also found its home there.

In the lower level there are the old cellars; my favourite still has running water (now channelled between the stones) and a stable temperature between 11 and 14 degrees. A perfect place for an aperitif with friends on warm summer evenings.

Ul Galiner is located in Cresti-Montescheno in the Antrona Valley (www.valleantrona.com). Cresti is a small hamlet, now sparsely populated… but there was a time, not so long ago, when there were two grocery shops, a bakery, a butcher and a cobbler. I still remember going grocery shopping alternately to the two shops… I had a small notebook where the purchases were written down and my grandfather would pay at the end of the month.

Today there is only one bar left, which the steadfast Claudia keeps open, and where I go with Bea to have breakfast (sometimes even in our pajamas) and chat for a while. The bar is still the meeting place today. It is home. Today the town hall is next to the bar. And there, in the square, there are parking spaces — free! There, in the square or at the bar, I wait for my guests to take them to “Ul Galiner”.

The cottage includes:

Kitchen with fridge, induction cooktops, sink, microwave, pots and dishes

A sofa with a coffee table, a dining table and two chairs

The bed is in the loft accessed by a wooden ladder

Bathroom with shower and (unfortunately) no bidet

Small stone balcony and clothes drying rack

If you need anything, you can ask and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.